OMG Life creates Autographer - a wearable automatic camera

British newcomer OMG Life has created Autographer, an 'intelligent' wearable camera that uses an array of built-in sensors to take pictures automatically triggered by changes in its environment. It uses a semi-fisheye lens with a 136° angle of view in front of a 5MP backlit-CMOS sensor, and the shutter is triggered at key moments based on input from GPS, acceleration, direction, temperature, proximity and light sensors. The company thinks it should appeal to anyone interested in recording an event without having to operate a camera, or as an additional tool for documentary photographers. Images are stored in internal memory, and can be transferred to a smartphone using Bluetooth for viewing; alternatively they can be compiled into movies using the supplied software. It'll go on sale in November from the company's website for £399.

It would be easy, especially after the buzz of 'proper' photography announcements from Photokina, to dismiss Autographer purely as a gimmick - especially given the company name. But OMG Life is actually a consumer spin-off from the scientific imaging company Oxford Metrics Group, and the Autographer is a slimmed down, higher spec, consumer-friendly version of the Vicon Revue, an automatic camera that was originally designed to aid treatment of patients suffering from severe memory impairment such as Alzheimer's disease. So, in terms of the technology at least, there's a bit more substance behind it than you might at first think.

It's also, as far as we're aware, a unique concept; a camera that attempts to make informed decisions about the best time to take pictures. This marks it out from time-lapse devices which simply take pictures at pre-set intervals - the idea being that it's more likely to capture 'interesting' moments. Whether that's enough to persuade buyers to pay the asking price is a different question, but we're hoping to give one a try to see how well it works.

24th September 2012, London: OMG Life today announces the launch of Autographer, a new type of digital camera that will change the way we think about photography.

Autographer – available to purchase in November 2012 – is a hands-free, automatic camera that can capture thousands of photographs a day through a custom wide-angle lens, enabling users to ‘see the unseen’.

Autographer uses five on-board sensors and GPS capability to identify the perfect time to take a photo, based on changes in light and colour, motion, direction and temperature. For instance, Autographer might capture an image when the wearer speeds up as they run for the bus, moves from a warm pub to a snowy street or turns around to greet a friend.

All the wearer has to do is put it on and go, and at the end of the day, watch their ‘unseen’ moments unfold through natural, unpredictable images and stop-frame videos, revealing a surprising new take on their world.

Simon Randall, Head of OMG Life, says, “The beauty of Autographer is that you don’t have to stop to take a photo or spend your day looking at life through a lens. You can live your experiences to the full while Autographer spontaneously captures the stories that happen all around you.

“Photos are a great way to document and share life experiences, but they can sometimes be a bit predictable with the same postcard views and posed smiles – pointing a camera lens at people often changes the fabric of the moment. Photographers go to great lengths to capture life in an authentic and natural way and see the Autographer as a great new way of effortlessly doing this.”

Simon adds, “We’ve spent a lot of time developing our wide-angle eye-view lens which is at the heart of the Autographer’s story-telling ability. It gives a unique first-person perspective that allows the wearer to tell their story uninhibited as they see it.

“Imagine it – your wedding day from a new angle, your child’s first birthday captured for posterity, the spectacle of a festival in all its glory or a surprising view on an African safari, even your cycle route to work mapped.

“Individual images offer a fascinating slice of life, while an Autographer stop-frame video lets you relive a whole day’s activity in just a few minutes. It’s not just a new camera but a whole new photographic approach.”

Autographer’s sensors capture metadata alongside the images, meaning users can reconstruct a unique digital record of their day – where they were, where they went, even what the temperature was.

They can then view and share their Autographer photos at the click of a button, or easily create story-telling mementoes such as GIFs and stop-frame videos using the Autographer editing software. Bluetooth connectivity also enables users to easily download their shots while on the move.

Simon adds, “Autographer doesn’t just effortlessly capture images, it captures stories. This offers limitless possibilities for creatives and professionals too. As the device is hands-free and wearable, it’s more versatile than a traditional camera in many circumstances; it’s only limited by the imagination of the wearer.

“It’s a perfect tool for the foreign correspondent on assignment, the artist wanting to document their creative journey or the art director wanting to capture the story behind the photo shoot.”

Autographer is created by Oxford Metrics Group (OMG), the Academy Award®-winning organisation behind some of the world’s most advanced motion-capture and image processing technologies.

Simon Randall says, “Since 2009, OMG has been responsible for developing Microsoft’s SenseCam technology, a wearable camera that automatically captures thousands of pictures a day. Marketed as Vicon Revue, it has proved of great value to people with memory impairment, helping them recover ‘lost’ memories and manage their lives more effectively.

“However, we always believed this ‘moment capture’ technology could have much wider applications, which is why we’re so excited to launch Autographer. We are hugely looking forward to seeing the innovative ways in which people will use Autographer to capture the unseen moments of daily life and the creative output this will inspire.”

Comments

I've been reading the comments all along, it seems to me everybody is viewing this from the "photographic tool" sense but I think is not really the point with this device, it seems more like a "reality documenting tool", go beyond the snappers and think about millions of persons arround the world, acting as sensors for register of the world conditions, over the years, imagne the amount of useful information that researchers could get, and the knowledge that could benefit us all. Think of it as a OCT unskilled photographer that would take so so pictures but could register everything around that picture, muliply it for millions, then sistematize that data, then analize it... neat.

Of course, the price seems a bit high, so it might not get to millions so the purpose of it might wane...

Rogue mobile (cell) phone users already give photography a bad name, this should just about finish street photography off world wide. If you cannot ban phone-cams then just ban "cameras" as they are easier to spot.

You mean cell phones give photography a bad name because people take horrible snapshots? Or you mean some of those "privacy" things? There should be no limit on what one can register on public realm, why would citizens be restricted while goverments can put cameras everywhere?The purpose of this device seems to me completly different of those "rouge" cell photographers that thake photos with mean intentions -the minority of them-, as I see, this device is intended to record slices of reality with lots of data in it. wearing it every day through years can give you lots of information besides just images. Analizing all that information can of course create new knowledge that can be useful for everyone.Please, try to see beyond the snapshooting fetures of this.

mercy. a great way to start a day. i have been ignoring this article, but i am happy i opened it. this is great.

if they want "a unique first-person perspective that allows the wearer to tell their story uninhibited as they see it", i recommend adding some triggers.

an.. "app" to link this to one of this to one of those body vital signs monitors. a picture of whatever has caused a spike in heart rate or blood pressure would be good. a patch to detect moisture at the brow will help capture truly embarrassing moments. voice recognition will sew up the rest. oh, Betsy.

really, it would be interesting to have the device constantly recording.. when an 'oh, goodness' moment arrives, the camera can retain the preceding 5 minutes or so. wonderful for accident investigation. i think some point/shoot do this with a feature called diary or some such.

This concept is fantastik! I'm from S. CA but have sort of a NY attitude when it comes to: Bureaucrats, Cops (bullies disguised as public servants) & other dumb ass people. So many times I've wished I had something like this to document these, other interesting situations & car drivers trying to knock me off my motorcycle!

Some of the privacy concerns here are based on the assumption that the camera automatically uploads everything it takes on the internet. It doesn't. The onus is still on the user to select which photos to upload and bear responsibility for whatever privacy issues it begets.

Its usefulness as a biographical recording device could be enhanced with an audio recording option. This option, if turned on, could record a user selectable audio sample, from 5 to 30 seconds with the photo at its midpoint.

For this feature to work, however, audio would need to be continuously buffered so the last 15 seconds of sound would be always be available for storage.

To be fair, it should alert anyone standing in its presence by displaying in bright illuminated red letters - "RECORDING AUDIO". Maybe the camcorder user interface of a flashing red dot could also be employed.

As a safeguard against unwanted recording, it should have an easy to access button to delete the most recent audio sample and photo.

Well... what about picking your password when using a bankomat and spread it to cell phones? Will you remember to switch off before go to WC? Big Brother works by the fact that after some time, you forget that are on line! IMO this device is intended for forbidden use!

Your concerns are valid, though I guess the responsibility still falls upon the user to pick and choose which photos should and shouldn't be uploaded. If there are 1000 photographs to sort out each day, though, that might be too tedious for most people. :D

I must admit I am intrigued by this. Not as a photographer though. It is the possibilities for documenting normal every day life of millions of people, storing it and allowing historians in a 100 years access to it in much the same way Census data is released for research.

Concepts like OMG Autographer, Lytro and femtophotography are definitely welcome in the world of photography. Pushing the technological and conceptual boundaries, getting image makers to explore their art/craft in new ways can only enhance the process. Will all, or any, of these technologies succeed? Only time will tell, but in the meantime they provide even more tools for all us so that we can continue to explore the world around us. There's nothing wrong with that.

Flopping around on your chest, swaying and pivoting left and right constantly while walking, taking misdirected, odd angle photos that are only sharp in bright sunlight but in indoor conditions are most likely blurred? Pass.[and bypassing the necklace and using the pocket clip on the outside of a shirt will droop and shoot the ground, I bet]

These need to be smaller and mounted to glasses or a helmet;, any other mount will be problematic.

when I originally designed the Microsoft Sensecam, which the Aotographer is based on, I used the accelerometer for image stabilisation. When the camera was bouncing on the chest, no images taken. There has been over 10 years of experimenting to get the Autographer to this stage for consumers.

"Hey guys look what pictures I.... I mean my camera took"Take the person out of the equation and photographs lose so much value.

Now, if we're talking security, journalism, sports then capturing that moment is more important for certain people. But man, it's enough that cameras have become all auto exposure super stabilization fast focusing devices that just need a trigger pull, when the perspective, composition and any artistic expression is all that's really needed, and that's what a camera like this take away...

i think this is interesting. it raises some questions about the role of the photographer in the making of good images. it also raises questions about the future of photography and how we interact with images. it might also be a one-trick pony. i'd like to play around with it, for sure.

When conscious gifted human beings accept to be replaced by automated toys, well, it can for sure produce photographs, but it has to be called "pieces of art" as well as a surveillance monitoring tape recording.

Probably good enough for you both. That's what we said above.

Note: it has to be recalled that the " +1 " attitude denote a deep lack of will and imagination that disqualifies to express oneself on the others creativity. My two cents.

A phrase from above report: " [it] allows the wearer to tell their story uninhibited as they see it". According to Eryk Mistewicz http://erykmistewicz.pl/bio-usa/, telling the story is a crucial point in social communoication today: those who can tell an interesting and well-documented story can easily gain publicity and win a favoured positoion. Not bad idea as a whole, IMHO. One thing bothers me, however - the privacy of other peopel confronted with the "electronic story-teller", not even knowing what's going on. Wonder what do you think....

I designed the original version of this, Sensecam for Microsoft, in 1999. for people with memory problems and dementia. I wonder why this version is is so expensive? We always had the problem that the temperature sensor measures close to the temperature of the user (as on chest) not the ambient temperature. I wonder how this has been solved.

Measuring (with some degree of accuracy) the actual temperature with a device worn close to a human is a far more challenging thing to do than simply looking for a change in temperature as this device does. It doesn't even necessarily need to respond all that quickly which makes its job even easier.

Measuring temperature of the temperature sensor at +/- 2 Celcius (4 Fahrenheit) accuracy is relatively easy. A calibrated sensor that is guaranteed to measure it's own temperature at +/- 1 C-deg (2 F-deg) costs quite a bit. Measuring air temperature at 1 C-deg (2 F-deg) accuracy additionally requires a shielded and ventilated system around the sensor.

It may be that the temperature measurement is quite accurate, but properly interpreting it may be quite challenging.

i think they use the temperature just for checking if you wear it or not, and also if you get out in the cold, or get out in the warm so you leave one place and enter another, so it doesnt really have to measure the actual temperature but changes

Where is my comment? I hope DPreview didn't remove it because it contained witty British humor. If it was, I plan to close my account and stop supporting this site immediately after many years of patronage and constructive dialog - with humor inserted when the opportunity obviously invites.

If this is repressive socialism now spreading to our favourite photog site, we have something to worry about. It's called dystopia, and it appears to be spreading everywhere.

My comment was removed too. I guess marking jokes as "inappropriate"gives some people the same feeling as getting a "Like" on a social web site. I guess we'll see more censorship from social networks mob in the future, so get ready for your flickr account to be closed for posting a photo that upsets a couple of most active bigots.

Gordon Bell at Microsoft Research has been pushing this concept for years, and there have been various prototypes -- including SenseCam out of Microsoft Cambridge (which claims to have started in 2003):http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/cambridge/projects/sensecam/media.htmMany of us have done smarter automatic capture control in existing cameras -- I've even done it using CHDK inside of Canon PowerShots.

If you want a camera as an event recorder, rather than a medium for producing art, this is a commercial step in the right direction.

That was the first thing that came to my mind. I suspect that if this device becomes popular in the US we'll see at least one court case in the news where someone is prosecuted for illegally recording someone. Heck, we've already seen many cases here in the US involving people using cell phone cameras to secretly record photos and video. I just did a quick Google search and, based on laws prohibiting the use of hidden cameras, you could "potentially" be prosecuted just for walking into another person's home or business with this camera turned on in the states of Hawaii, Alabama, South Dakota, Minnesota, Maine, Kansas, Delaware, Michigan, Georgia, and Utah.

1) The camera has an on/off switch that the wearer must activate before the camera "automatically" captures images.

2) The user is knowingly wearing an automated camera which captures images and is walking into private property without deactivating said camera.

I'm sure this device can be used for all types of creative time lapse work ... but there is that potential for criminal misuse ... and even the potential for "unintentional criminality" (breaking the law without criminal intent or malice) that could result in users paying expensive fines, legal fees, or spending time in jail just for wearing this gizmo around their necks in the wrong places.

The cameras might serve for surveillance, but not offer much for anything else. The fish-eye perspective is useful only for tracking people at shorter distances.

Lots of businesses and workplaces already have surveillance cameras. A wearable camera would enhance the means to keep track of shoplifters or slouchers. No law impedes image capture by the owner of a business or property of objects or people on that property. To bring a spy cam onto anyone else's property, or use it without their permission, is something else. Only phone cameras offer a nifty aliby or excuse.

Great idea for a device. It would be interesting to see how well the "intelligence" does compared to a simple time-lapse.

It rather falls down in the price department though. I can't see the amount of tech in this device justifying anything like that price tag. For a quarter of the price, I could see a lot people giving something like this a try on impulse.

There was a story recently where someone hung a small robust digital camera set on interval timer, round the neck of his cat - just to see what it got up to all day.

Beyond the short-lived novelty of how accidental they looked, those pictures were just as banal as this thing will likely produce - but the circumstances were at least a little more surprising.

That was IMO an interesting use for the technology. This whole notion here, though, sems to just pander to self-absorbed egotism. It is not up to any of us, to decide how fascinating - or otherwise - we are. Bah humbug.